Oswald J Smith was born on November 8, 1889in Odessa, Ontario, Canada. Smith wrote some 1,200 hymns, Gospel songs & poems. From 1915 to 1959, he served as a pastor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Oswald J. Smith (1889-1986) raised the bar for missions several feet in his lifetime. His voice kept crying: "Missions! Missions! Missions!" He had a burning heart for reaching out to the places and peoples, which were not yet touched by the Gospel. The People Church in Toronto raised millions of dollars for missions and supported hundreds of missionaries.

He has written many books and pamphlets about missions, which have been translated into scores of languages, and has spoken around the world to challenge the churches about missions. His book The Passions for Souls is a classic and has used by God to challenge Christians around the world to get ready for the mission field.